


Still Alive

by dont_hate_me01



Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, Drama, Established Relationship, Hurt Tony, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Tibbs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-14
Updated: 2014-04-14
Packaged: 2018-01-19 10:00:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1465198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dont_hate_me01/pseuds/dont_hate_me01
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony managed to chase down a suspect, but what will the consequences be?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AmyH0127](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyH0127/gifts).



**Part 1**

Tony came in well after midnight. Jethro was stretched out on the couch reading a novel, waiting for his arrival. He set his 'go' bag by the door and toed off his shoes, squinting against the lamp lit living room.

"Hey," Jethro looked up from his book. "How'd it go?"

"Got him. Had to chase him five blocks, scale over a brick wall and through the park on the west end, but we got him." Tony fought off the wave of nausea and shielded his eyes from the glaring 60 watt bulb glowing in the lamp on the end table. He left out the bit about the tumble down the stairs while chasing the perp.

"Good. You feeling okay? Want something to eat?" Jethro knew Tony was off, but he had promised not to bully his way into a case that wasn’t his own. His shoulder was healed and he only had three days left of physical therapy before he could take the government issued physical, re-qualify on the range, and resume his position as team leader. Until then, it was Tony’s show.

"I'm fine, and not hungry. I'm gonna take a shower and then hit the rack." Tony dragged his hand over his face and winced as the headache he nurtured kicked it up a notch. "Long day."

"Mmm. There’s chowder and bread in the fridge if you change your mind." Gibbs bent back towards his book.

"Thanks." Tony started up the stairway pausing for a minute to collect himself and let the nausea that washed over him pass. Unfortunately, it didn't go unnoticed. He managed the rest of the stairs normally and Jethro sighed briefly with relief but didn't take it for granted. Something else was going on. His gut was never out of the game, especially where Tony was concerned. Something was not right; Tony was hiding something from him. He mentally went over Tony's stance as the younger man entered their home earlier. He was a bit roughed up, his hair mussed up and the jeans he had on smeared with dirt, but at least there was no blood - not that he could see in any case. But, that didn't mean Tony wasn't harboring an injury. He would wait until Tony came out of the bathroom and then he would check Tony out himself, even if it meant that he had to pin him down on the bed to do just that.

Tony closed the door to their bathroom as gently as he could while making it just in time to the toilet, vomiting every scrap of nourishment he had in the past three hours. He tried to keep silent and ran water in the sink to cover any noises he made, not wanting to worry Jethro. Plugging the tub, he let the shower fall fill it with warm water and stripped down, immersing himself in the warm spray. Dousing himself, he let the water soothe his tired muscles and then gently sat down and tilted his head back and closed his eyes in the hope to rid himself of the pounding headache. The water pelting on his skin was the last thing that he remembered as he drifted off.

****

NCIS~~~~~~~~~~NCIS

His eyes were closing and the book he read fell gently on his chest, so when his cell rang he jumped, having only been asleep for mere moments. "Ya, Gibbs," he answered not disguising the sleepiness he felt.

"Boss? Sorry to disturb you at this hour. I just-"

Gibbs moved to sit up, ready for the call out for a case. "Just what, McGee?"

"Um, have you seen Tony?"

"Well, yeah – he’s home. Got here about – 30 minutes ago." Gibbs looked at the display on the DVD player.

"Is he OK?"

"He's showering – seemed fine to me when he came in." Gibbs listened and heard the shower still running. "Spit it out, McGee, what aren’t you telling me?" His gut turned and got up and started up the stairs.

"He was chasing the suspect down a flight of stairs and lost his footing. Knocked himself out for a few minutes, but Ziva was able to collar the man. I tried to make him go –"

Gibbs cut him off when he reached their bedroom and saw water starting to seep from under the door. "Shit," he swore to himself and tried the door but found it locked. "McGee! Call 911 and send them here."

He hung up abruptly and knocked loudly on the door. "Tony! DiNozzo, are you OK?" Panic started to set in, but he remained as calm as he found his lock pick set on the dresser and popped the lock in mere seconds.

With the door opened, he stepped inside to find Tony sprawled back in the tub as the water continued to rain on him, his head listing to the side, a portion of the left side of his face submerged in the overflowed tub. He went quickly to him and yanked him up, holding him steady as he turned off the water and pulled the drain plug. As Tony’s head dropped down on his chest, water spilled out from his mouth. Even as he dragged Tony from the tub he started looking for any visible injuries; he had no idea if Tony had managed to knock himself out in the bath or if it was the result of unreported injuries. Gibbs had not been this terrified in years. Finding no visible injuries, he inserted his fingers in Tony’s mouth, pulled down on his chin to let the rest of the water escape and listened for signs of breathing. He sighed deeply as he saw Tony's chest raising and falling. His fingers found the pulse point on Tony's neck and frowned as he realized just how slow Tony's pulse was. "Damn it, Tony," he turned Tony onto his left side in the recovery position and was about to pull down a towel to start rubbing Tony down in an effort to see if he could get him to wake up when he heard a loud knocking down stairs and someone yelling out as the paramedics made their presence known. "Upstairs!" he called down to them. He could hear the thudding of footsteps running up the stairs and looked on as two EMTs entered the small room.

"He's breathing, and he's got a weak pulse." Jethro wanted to stay next to Tony's side, but the bathroom was too cramped and he had to move to the door.

"What's his name?" The tallest of the paramedics asked as he placed his hand on Tony's neck to feel the pulse point himself.

"Tony," Jethro replied quickly. The EMT's name tag read Jeffrey.

"Any idea what happened?" Jeffrey asked.

"He took a tumble from a flight of stairs, lost consciousness," Gibbs supplied the answer he received from McGee.

The medic nodded his head, and with the help of his partner turned Tony on his back. He had a small penlight in his hand and lifted Tony's eyelids to have a look. The dilated pupils that stared back at him were not a good sign. "Both pupils dilated," he informed his partner and rubbed his fist hard across Tony's sternum, calling out Tony's name. He frowned as he received no response. "Unresponsive," his tone was clipped but Gibbs could hear that he still cared.

He used his stethoscope to listen to his lungs and frowned as he realized that the movement he'd seen earlier had seized and he wasn't breathing. "Not breathing," he reached for the bag and shook the necessary items from it. He looked at the older man still standing in the door and could see the worry in his face. "I need to intubate him." Even as the man nodded his head he tilted his patient's head back, made sure he could see past the vocal cords and continued to slide the tube down the throat. With the stethoscope pressed against his ears, his one hand pumping the bag he listened again. "It's in. Let's go." He didn't voice his concern about Tony not breathing or the fact that the loss of consciousness together with the dilated pupils indicated to serious head trauma. With the help of his partner, the two medics got Tony onto the backboard and then onto the gurney before navigating the stairs and wheeling him out of the front door.

"Where you taking him?" Gibbs had found his voice. He wanted nothing more than to ride with them, but knew he would only be in the way if they had to work on Tony.

"Bethesda," Jeffrey answered and Gibbs nodded his head and turned away to grab his keys, but then turned back. "Get Doctor Pitt. Tony suffered from pneumonic plague a few years back." He didn't bother to explain as the EMT nodded his head at the information and then watched on as the ambulance drove off.

****

NCIS~~~~~~~~~~NCIS

Gibbs only thought of phoning Ducky and the rest of the team after he started to pace the waiting room of the ER. It had been more than an hour and he was still in the dark. If he didn't receive any information soon, he wouldn't hesitate to go through those sealed doors and get answers himself. He was ready to do good on the promise to himself when Ducky stepped into the waiting room.

"Jethro, how is he doing?"

Gibbs shook his head. "They're not telling me anything." He had difficulty in keeping his temper in check, but knew it would not be fair to take it out on his friend.

"Oh dear," Ducky placed his hand on Gibbs' shoulder. "Let me see if I can find out something." He set out to walk away but then turned and faced his friend again. "Did you phone Bradley?"

Gibbs nodded once. "Yes, but he's at a conference and won't be back until tomorrow morning."

Ducky did not answer but instead turned back and made his way over to the reception area. Gibbs could see him having a word with the nurse, taking out his wallet and as the nurse smiled, she pressed the button that opened up the ER doors and Ducky disappeared behind them. Gibbs sighed; once again, he was left alone. He was able to find the hard plastic chair behind him and sat down heavily. Gibbs lowered his face in his hands and for the first time in a very long time, he felt totally helpless. He knew he had to phone the rest of the team, but as he took out his phone the doors opened and Abby stormed in. Behind her came Ziva, McGee, and Palmer.

"Gibbs, Gibbs," Abby stormed him down and hugged him hard as he came to his feet. "Timmy phoned me and told me he had to phone 911, is Tony all right, what happened, what does the doctor say, can we see him?"

"Abby, Abs." Gibbs held her by her arms. "Calm down," he hugged her again as her bottom lip quivered.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm babbling, but I'm so worried." She indicated with her hand to the rest of the team that stood around her. "We all are."

"I know you are, Abs, I'm worried too." He let her sit down and then looked up at the rest of the team. Worry was etched into all of their faces. He knew the identical expression decorated his face. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "Ducky went in about five minutes ago. I'm sure it won't take long now before we get an update."

McGee nodded his head and then looked over to where Abby was pressed up against Gibbs' side. "I'll go and get some coffee for us." He needed to be busy. Images of Tony lying face down on the ground had started to replay repeatedly in his mind and he just wanted to keep them away.

Jimmy spoke up for the first time. "I'll come with you." He tugged at his collar, loosening it around his throat. He had been attending a function with Breena and his future in-laws when McGee called him. He smiled as he thought of his fiancée. She didn't even hesitate in letting him go after she heard what had happened. She indicated that she would make her way over to the hospital as soon as what she could.

"Thanks, McGee.” Gibbs spoke softly.

McGee took a step back. Gibbs rarely said please or thank you. "Sure," he started walking away with Palmer a few steps behind him.

Ziva took the seat on the other side of Gibbs. "I'm really sorry, Boss. I should've let him be checked out by the medics."

Gibbs head snapped up. He wanted to snap at her, but he also knew how stubborn Tony was. Instead, he shook his head. "What happened?" His voice sounded gruff.

"We went to Camlin's office to confront him and he started running the moment he realized who we were. Tony was in front and was running after the suspect. Camlin ran very fast and soon McGee and I lost sight of them. They made their way over to another building by jumping across. I saw Tony going down hard, but he got up again and continued chasing Camlin. I managed to make up some ground after Tony tripped, and was at the top of the stairs when Tony's foot caught and he tumbled down. Tony succeeded to grab hold of Camlin's foot that made the guy stumble as well but then Tony went limp and he didn't get up again. I knew Tim was right behind me so I jumped over Tony and managed to catch Camlin a few meters away. When I turned back, McGee was hovering over Tony and Tony was sitting up." Ziva looked at Gibbs' face. "I had my phone out to call, Boss, but Tony told me he was fine. He said he had a hard head and that nothing was broken. McGee wanted to take him to Ducky, but he refused, stating we had to book the perp and had a ton of paper work to be done. There was no blood so we left it there." She looked down at her hands. "I am sorry."

Gibbs pulled the ex Mossad officer close to him. "Never apologize - it's a sign of weakness." He quoted his rule to her, but hugged her in any case to show he was not angry with her. He turned his attention to Abby. His surrogate daughter had become very quiet after her initial rant. He took in her clothing and had to smile. "How're the nuns, Abby?"

Abby looked down at her bowling outfit and smiled. "They're all well, Gibbs. Sister Rosita said they'll all be praying for Tony."

"That's good, Abs." Gibbs leaned back. Having the team around him had given him some patience. He could only hope that Ducky would come back before that ran out.

****

NCIS~~~~~~~~~~NCIS

Ducky sighed at the sight before him. This was going to be very challenging for the team, especially so for Jethro. He looked up from the bed as the neurosurgeon, Doctor Anderson approached him.

"Michael," he greeted the man with a nod of the head.

"Ducky," Michael greeted the ME back and then turned his attention to the chart he held in his hands.

"You don't look very positive." Ducky observed.

"In all honesty, Ducky, I'm not." Michael walked towards the light boards placed on the ER room's wall and flipped the switch. He indicated to the CT scans that were visible on the screens. "I think you can see the problem we have, Ducky."

Doctor Mallard sighed. It was worse than he ever imagined it to be. "Oh, my dear Anthony." Ducky failed to get the images out of his mind. Tony had suffered a hairline skull fracture on the left side of his head which caused an epidural hematoma (bleeding of the middle meningeal artery) - bleeding between the Dura and the inner table of the skull. What made Tony's injuries so much more worrisome was the subdural hematoma on the right side of the skull, which resulted in bleeding between the skull and the brain. "I thought he only hit his head once."

Doctor Anderson shook his head. "At least twice and where these injuries are located I can say it occurred on different heights. He's also got a nice goose egg just behind his right ear."

"Ah, I know about that one. It happened last week. A suspect managed to clobber him with an iron rod." Ducky explained.

"Concussed?" Michael enquired as he moved to his patient side.

"No, luckily not." Ducky shuddered. "Are you going to operate?"

Anderson nodded. "Tony's lucky, both hematomas are slow bleeders, but the pressure on his brain is increasing so I have to go in and relieve it, otherwise he may suffer some brain damage." He looked up at the readings from the intra-ventricular catheter that had been inserted into Tony's head not an hour after he had arrived. He grimaced as he saw that the intracranial pressure has risen yet again, they were heading into treacherous water.

"Will you allow me to tell Gibbs and his friends?"

"I normally like to speak to the family myself, but since you know them and it will give me those extra few minutes to prepare, I'd appreciate it."

"I'll let you get ready then." Ducky placed his hand over Tony's and squeezed it hard. "You'll be all right, Anthony. We'll see you in a bit." Ducky looked on as they wheeled Tony out of the ER straight into the elevator to take him to the OR. He sighed deeply and prayed softly. It was going to be a long few hours to follow.

****

NCIS~~~~~~~~~~NCIS

Gibbs had just accepted the cup of coffee from McGee when the large ER doors opened and Ducky stepped out. "Duck?" He asked as he walked towards his oldest and closest friend.

Ducky closed the gap between himself and Jethro and pushed a form in his hand. "I'll tell you everything soon, but as Anthony's medical proxy you need to sign this consent form. He needs emergency surgery."

Gibbs didn't question him and signed the form. He looked on as a nurse that came out of the ER just after Ducky took the form and disappeared behind the doors again.

"Let's all sit down, Jethro." Ducky guided Gibbs back to the rest of the team and waited until everyone sat down before he started talking. "Anthony's condition is very critical, but he is stable. He's breathing on his own again, although they still have to remove the tube inserted, but it's not coupled on a ventilator." He took a deep breath. "Anthony suffered two serious head injuries, one on the left side of his skull, that includes a fracture and the other on the right side." He indicated with his hands to the spots on his head. Dr. Anderson who is the neurosurgeon treating Anthony thinks that they occurred at two different times." He looked up as both Ziva and McGee gasped.

"When he went down on the roof of the second building, we thought he tripped, but he must've hit his head there for the first time." Ziva explained.

"To which side did he fall, Ziva?" Ducky inquired; he had a feeling he knew the answer, but wanted to make certain.

"He fell on his left side, Ducky."

"Ah, yes. That's the side with the skull fracture. He must've banged his head against something which caused the injury."

"Shouldn't there have been blood, Ducky?" Gibbs asked, he was shocked to hear Tony had suffered from not only one head injury but also two, and that one of them caused a fracture was hard to hear.

"Not necessarily, Jethro. If the surface was hard enough but flat so that nothing cut into his head then there would be no open injury, but it could still cause the fracture."

"So the second time he hit his head must have been when he went down the stairs>" McGee spoke up. "He fell on his right side."

"Indeed, Timothy." Ducky nodded his head.

"What are they going to do, Duck man?" Abby asked quietly.

Ducky sighed. "They need to operate, Abigail." He turned so that he faced Gibbs head on. "It's a risky operation, but a necessary one. Tony's hooked to what is called an ICP. It monitors the pressure on his brain caused by the swelling." He wanted to begin by going into the details but then stopped himself. Now was not the time to get into the details. They just needed to hear and understand the basics of it all. "The pressure in Anthony's head keeps on increasing and that can cause compression of the brain tissue, which on its turn can contribute to brain damage. To relieve the pressure they're going to do what is referred to as a craniotomy." He looked up at Gibbs as he began to explain the operation itself. "They will shave his head clean and do what is referred to as a bone flap removal. They pull the skin and muscle back and remove a part of the skull. They will then suction out the blood, repair what is necessary and place the bone flap back which will be fitted back with tiny plates and screws. They will also make sure that there is no further nerve damage caused by the operation itself."

Gibbs nodded his head at the information. "How long, Ducky?" He didn't even want to know about the dangers of the operation. He would be unable to handle it.

"Not shorter than three hours, Jethro. I would say we're more likely looking at between five and six hours." Ducky looked at the team. "After the operation he'll be taken to the recovery room until they're satisfied with his vitals and then he'll be taken to the neuroscience ICU." He looked at his watch. It was close to three in the morning. "We'll be unable to see Anthony before midday today I believe. So let's all go home and get some sleep. It's going to be a long few days and Tony's going to need us all."

"I'm not going anywhere." Abby piped up.

Gibbs had to smile. He should've known that Abby would not budge. "Ducky's right, Abby. Go home, get some rest and come back later."

"Are you leaving, Boss man?" Abby asked.

Gibbs shook his head. "I'm staying." There was no way, come hell or high water anything could make him leave now.

"Well, if you're staying, I'm staying."

Ducky looked at the stubborn set of Abby's shoulders. "There's nothing you can do here now, Abigail." He tried again.

Abby shook her head. "I'll stay with Gibbs and I'll ensure he's got coffee. He's going to need coffee and loads of it, more than what he usually drinks." She looked at Gibbs. "Not that you drink too much coffee, Gibbs. I never said that, or even thought that."

Gibbs sighed tiredly. "You can stay, but only for a few hours, Abby. If I say you are going to go home later, you'll go - no argument. Understood?"

"Yes, Gibbs, understood." Abby leaned into his side. Gibbs meant the world to her, but so did Tony. He was the big brother she never had and she loved him dearly.

"The rest of us will go home and will come back again later." Ducky gathered the others and herded them to the exit.

"I'll go over to your place, Boss and pick up some clean clothes for you this afternoon." McGee offered.

"Thank you, McGee." Gibbs answered tiredly and leaned back into the chair. It was time for the long wait to start. He knew that they would call him up to the surgical waiting room later on. In the mean time, he could only wait.

****

NCIS~~~~~~~~~~NCIS

Ducky stood next to the bed, looking at the sleeping man. It had been six hours since Tony had been pushed into his room and he had only woken up once. Not only was his face swollen after the operation, but the young man had experienced some intense pain and had to be drugged to the gills before he finally managed to slip into some well deserved sleep. He looked over to where Gibbs was seated next to Tony's bed. He didn't need to know what was going through Gibbs' mind to know that his friend was not only concerned about Tony, but that he was silently freaking out - something that Ducky thought he would never see.

"He looks worse than what he is, Jethro." Ducky spoke up and waited for Gibbs to look at him before he continued. "The swelling is to be expected, it will go down in time. This here," he indicated to the intra-ventricular catheter, "will be removed before this day is done. Doctor Anderson is just checking to make sure that the pressure in Anthony's brain is stabilized. The fact that they removed the breathing tube is more good news. The oxygen is necessary, but only for a few days. Due to his lungs, Tony will again be subjected to deep breathing exercises once he has woken up, as they don't want him to contract pneumonia." He took a deep breath. "There are some limited risks that we need to watch out for like seizures, but they've already placed him on anticonvulsant medication for that. We'll have to make sure, especially after he's discharged, that he takes it easy. We all know how young Anthony is, he will want to be up and at it immediately, and this time around it will not work."

"But will he be all right, Ducky?" Gibbs asked quietly. He hoped that Ducky understood what he meant.

"I suppose you're talking about possible brain damage? Well, Doctor Anderson is quite confident that Anthony suffered from no brain damage. They will however keep an eye out for any possible sign of damage as soon as he has woken up. We just need to be positive, Jethro."

Gibbs only nodded his head as he leaned forward and took Tony's hand in his. He only wanted Tony to wake up, to look into his green eyes and to know that he would be all right.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony managed to chase down a suspect, but what will the consequences be?

**Part 2**

**Three Days Later**

Gibbs looked on in silence as the ICU nurse put Tony through his paces. Tony was asked numerous questions - What's your name? What is the date? Do you know where you are? - amongst other standard questions. His pupils were checked and he had to follow certain commands to move his arms and legs as directed. This was done at least five times a day and Gibbs knew that Tony was getting bored. On one hand was a good thing, but it also was a bad thing. Good, because it meant Tony was on the mend, bad because it meant that he wanted to do more than what he was allowed to do and that in turn made him cranky and made him want to escape. 

Tony sighed as the nurse adjusted the nasal cannula that delivered the oxygen to his body and then finally left the room. He turned to look at Gibbs tiredly. "I hate this, Jet. They want me to get some rest, but then they keep on prodding and poking. I need to get out of here. I'm going to go insane. If I have to answer those silly questions one more time, I'm going to scream. I mean just how many times do they want me to tell them who I am?" 

"Just a few more days, Tony." Gibbs got up from his chair and took his place next to Tony on the bed. "You need to hang in there." 

Tony slowly shook his head. "No, I had enough. I'm going stir crazy here. There's nothing to do, I can't even watch TV." He nearly managed to pout and Gibbs couldn't help but to grimace as he thought back to the previous evening... 

_Tony had become quiet as the time went by. At first, Gibbs thought that he was tired, but when he suggested that Tony got some sleep, the younger man had snapped at him and refused to close his eyes. Instead, he started flicking through the channels on the TV. Gibbs still failed to understand why there was a TV in an ICU room. He was busy reading the monthly Snipers US when he became aware of the fact that the channel hopping had come to an end, but he frowned when he saw the channel it landed on. There was just no way Tony would've picked a faith healing channel from one or other religious group. He turned and wanted to make a comment when he saw the look on Tony's face. He got out of his chair and was next to Tony in seconds._

_"Tony?" He had to repeat Tony's name again and again before Tony looked up at him. "You all right?"_

_"Feel weird, funny." Tony mumbled._

_Gibbs wanted to ask what Tony meant, but then Tony's right hand started jerking and it quickly spread to his arm and leg. By that time, Gibbs already pressed the call button calling for help. Before the nursing staff appeared in the room, the seizure had spread through Tony's whole body. Gibbs was pushed to the side and had to look on as orders were barked and medication pushed up into Tony's IV. The whole incident lasted less than two minutes, but to Gibbs it felt like a lifetime._

_After the seizure, Tony was confused and complained about muscle pain and fatigue. He drifted off soon after and Doctor Anderson explained to Gibbs what had happened. Despite the assurance given that Tony was all right, Gibbs couldn't help but to keep awake the whole night to watch over the one man in his life._

Doctor Anderson had adjusted Tony's medication and advised Tony, as a precaution, abstain from watching TV for a day or two. They wanted to conduct a few more tests; including drawing some more blood to be on the safe side. They were still concerned about his lungs and on Doctor Pitt's instructions, they were keeping Tony a few days longer in ICU before placing him in a normal room; something that Tony had yet to realize. 

Gibbs let his hand rest on Tony's. "I know this is difficult for you, but please, you've been through a lot. Let's see what the latest blood tests indicate and then I'll make sure McGee brings your portable DVD player and you can watch some movies on that." Doctor Anderson already explained that Tony would be on the injury list for the next eight weeks. Only after that was he allowed to go back to work, but on desk duty for another four weeks. Twelve weeks in total. Gibbs knew Tony was not going to be the only one going stir crazy. 

"What do you say, let's go for a walk? Nurse Ratchet will then get off your case for a few minutes." Gibbs smiled as Tony started to sit up by himself. He was happy about the fact that Tony was encouraged to move about and to walk around. It was still slow going, but with Gibbs at his side Tony managed to get out of bed and slowly the two of them made it out of the room and down the hall where the ICU unit had its own private little court yard. Gibbs knew the space like the back of his own hand as he spent more than enough time sitting out here whenever he was forced out of Tony's room just after the surgery. At least they came to the realization that his presence kept Tony calm and he was allowed free access, as long as he stayed out of their way when they checked Tony out. 

"You know what I'm craving, Jet?" Tony asked a bit out of breath as Gibbs helped him sit down. 

Gibbs smirked, "Only one thing on your mind, Tony. So it's going to be an easy guess, pizza?" 

Tony grinned and blushed. "Well there are normally two things on my mind, but you're correct this time around. Think you can ask McSmuggle to get one in?" 

Gibbs laughed. "Let's see who's on duty tonight and then talk about it again." He wouldn't have minded a bit to let Tony have some pizza, but his diet was strictly monitored and Gibbs couldn't see how pizza could be one of the items he was permitted to eat. He knew he had to take Tony's mind off the pizza otherwise the younger man would work himself up a hunger for something that he most likely would be unable to get. "What's the other thing on your mind?" 

Tony smiled softly. "I wanted to say sex, the hot and steamy sort, but now I would die for the opportunity just to lie on our bed and cuddle." He raised his hand as Gibbs opened his mouth to make a comment. "Don't even think of denying it - you snuggle and you love it." He grinned again as Gibbs smiled. 

"I'll deny it if anyone asks, but you're right. It would be wonderful to lie on our bed and just be together." Gibbs wondered if he'd be able to fit on Tony's bed for a few hours in between rounds. 

"So, get me out of here and we can cuddle." Tony tried again. 

"No," Gibbs shook his head. "You're staying right where you are and if you tell me you're fine I'll head slap you." He knew he sounded snappy, but it seemed like Tony didn't realize just how close to death's door he had been. 

"Jethro, look at me." Tony asked quietly, and when his partner refused to meet his gaze, he tried again. "Boss, please." He sighed as Gibbs met his stare. "I'm okay." He knew that he was pushing Gibbs, but the other man had to realize that he was okay. That he was alive and kicking. 

"You could've died." Gibbs spoke the words so softly that Tony had some difficulty in picking them up. 

"But I didn't. I'm still here." 

"Damn it, Tony." Gibbs' voice was filled with fear. "When I found you in the tub and the EMTs came and you were not breathing it felt to me as if my whole world was ending. The last time I felt like that was when I heard about Shannon and Kelly. To make things worse Ducky came and he told us than not only did you have a skull fracture but you were also bleeding into your brain and I couldn't get past the fact that I might have lost you. I wouldn't survive this time and I'm still scared." 

Tony knew it has taken a lot for Gibbs to admit his fear. "I will never leave you like this, Jethro. It's been a huge scare to me as well, but there's nothing we could've done to prevent it, its part of our job. You can go out on a case and be shot; it can happen to anyone of us." 

Gibbs huffed. He knew Tony was right. "Still want to wrap you in bubble wrap." 

Tony grinned. "I would love that, Boss. I'll snap that bubbles the whole day." 

"And drive me up the walls the whole day," Gibbs leaned in and kissed Tony long and hard. "Let's get you back to bed and see if we can get some snuggle time in a bit later." He gently helped Tony to his feet and together the two men made their way back to Tony's room. 

Tony sighed as Gibbs pulled the sheet over him. He wouldn't have guessed that those few steps to the court yard and back would have him so tired; it felt really nice to be back in bed. He yawned hard and leaned into Gibbs' touch as his partner stroke his hair. 

"Get some sleep; I'll be here when you wake up again." Gibbs leaned in and kissed Tony again, letting the kiss linger for a while before withdrawing. He looked on as Tony's eyes closed and remained closed. Only when he was convinced that Tony was sleeping deeply did he step away and take his customary seat next to the bed. He took up the novel he was reading and settled in for the time being as Tony napped. 

****

NCIS~~~~~~~~~~NCIS

**Two Weeks Later**

"I'm free!" Tony yelled as he stood next to Gibbs' truck which was parked at the front entrance of the hospital. He had finally been released and couldn't wait to get home to sleep in his own bed - not that sleeping was in the top ten things on his list to do, but just the thought of his own bed made him smile. 

"You're still house bound, Tony." Gibbs reminded the younger man. There was no way he was letting Tony go out on the first night back home. 

"It's still better than this place, Jet." Tony grinned. "Can we PLEASE get pizza?" 

Gibbs shook his head; his partner has been super patient with being unable to have his beloved dish to eat. "Sure, I'll order some when we get home and have you settled." 

Tony growled. "If you think for one moment I'm going up to bed, you're making a mistake. I'm not going to go to bed, I'm not an invalid." 

Gibbs held up his hands in defense. "I was going to say until we get you settled on the couch. I know you don't want to go to bed, but you still need to take it easy." Although Tony's condition has improved tremendously, he was still short of breath and tired easily. 

"Good, as long as we clear on that." Tony opened the door and climbed into the truck. It smelled like Gibbs, it smelled like home and he sighed in contentment. He was finally going home. 

The trip back to their home was done in comfortable silence and Gibbs was not surprised to find that Tony has nodded off. Ducky had indicated that it was quite normal and would continue for a while before Tony was back to his old self. He brought the truck to a halt and gently shook Tony's shoulder. He smiled as Tony opened his eyes. "Boss?" 

"We’re home." He stepped out of the truck and went around helping Tony out as well. As both of them approached their home, the front door shot open and Abby came running out. 

"Tony!" She yelled with excitement and hugged him hard. "Welcome home." She kissed him on the cheek and hugged him again. 

"Thanks, Abby." Tony hugged her back and didn't mind that she placed her arm around his waist and supported him inside. He smiled as he saw the rest of the team gathered in their living room as well. "McGoo, Zee-va, Autopsy Gremlin, Ducky! What a surprise." He smiled as they all hugged him close. "It's good to see all of you." He sighed as Gibbs helped him to settle on the couch and grinned as Ducky pressed a bottle of cold water in his hand. "We getting pizza?" 

Ziva nodded her head. "You are really over the world with happiness." 

Tony laughed. "Over the moon, Ziva, and yes, I am." 

Ziva tilted her head. "I could've sworn it's over the world, you sure it's over the moon?" 

"Yes, my little ninja chick. It's over the moon and on top of the world. Both meaning you're extremely happy and I'm both." Tony explained patiently. He missed helping Ziva with her English. 

"Good, I understand it." She smiled and accepted the beer offered to her. Soon all of the friends were sitting around chatting and eating pizza. 

Gibbs only broke the party up when he saw Tony's eyes closing and his chin sinking down on his chest. "Time to go home, people." He indicated to where Tony was sleeping. "Let's not let him overdo this so soon." He expressed his thanks to each and everyone and cleaned up a bit before he approached Tony and woke him up. "Come on sleepy head, let’s get you to bed." 

"Not tired," Tony mumbled but still let Jethro pull him up and help him up the stairs to their room. 

"Yes, I can see you're not tired at all." Gibbs smiled as he managed to undress Tony into some loose sweatpants and a t-shirt before tucking him in. He wasn't surprised at all when Tony turned on his side and grabbed hold of Gibbs' pillow hugging it close. Knowing that Tony was settled for the night, Gibbs took a quick shower and then turned in next to Tony. He smiled gently as Tony let go of the pillow and attached himself to his side. Gibbs let his hand run across Tony's head. The staples and stitches had all been removed and Tony's hair had begun to grow back as well. It was silky soft and Gibbs loved running his hand across it. He placed a soft kiss on top of Tony's head and then closed his own eyes, drifting off to sleep knowing his lover was safe. 

****

NCIS~~~~~~~~~~NCIS

**The Following Evening**

Tony's body arched from the bed and sighed in contentment as Jethro's talented mouth settled over his leaking cock taking him deep. "Fuck," he hissed as Gibbs' sucked hard while his hand closed over the bottom of his shaft holding him tight. Gibbs' other hand was playing with his sack, rolling his balls between his fingers before tugging ever so slightly at them, stifling his need to erupt into pleasure. Tony keened hard and spread his legs wider so that Jethro had complete access to him. His body kept on shivering in pleasure as Gibbs' played his body with precision. 

"Please, please," he begged over and over. He needed more, he needed to be filled with Jethro's cock, to feel the burn as his lover took him deep until he was totally impaled and completely owned. He huffed as Gibbs' mouth left his cock with an audible pop. "Don't stop." 

"Not stopping, Tony." Gibbs moved up higher and caught Tony's mouth kissing him hard, nipping at Tony's bottom lip until Tony gave in, let him inside, making their tongues dance against one another, teeth scraping over tongue and lips before he broke the kiss, and latched his mouth on the sensitive spot just behind Tony's left ear. He could feel Tony tense up beneath him and his fingers found Tony's nipple, caressing the tiny nip until it stood at attention, making Tony shiver again before he latched at the spot and bit down hard, marking Tony as his. 

"Jet!" Tony called out and arched up again, his body shivering in pleasure-pain. He had no kink for biting, but he would easily blow his load when Jethro marked him on that particular spot. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," he hissed as Jethro continued to suck making the blood rise to the surface, ensuring that the mark would be visible for everyone to see for at least the coming week. 

"We'll get to that just now," Gibbs ensured his lover as he reached for the lube and squirted a glob in his hand. "You're going to be so tight," he whispered before he took Tony's mouth for yet another kiss while his slicked up fingers found their mark and he circled the puckered hole gently, feeling how the muscle trembled against his fingers. "Going to show you how much I missed you, how much I need you." He pushed the tip of his finger against the hole a few times without penetrating the tight channel, just playing with Tony, making him want more and more. 

"Don't tease," Tony hissed as he pushed downwards in an attempt to get Jethro to breach him. He moaned as the older man moved his hand away. "You're playing dirty." He smiled as he leaned forward and let Jethro kiss him again. 

"You love it," Gibbs responded and then let the digit sink in. Both men groaned in unison. 

"Holy hell," this time Tony bore down and gasped as Gibbs' finger got swallowed up by his tight hole. "Shit, so good." He began to move his hips in an attempt to get Gibbs to move the digit. 

The pressure around Gibbs' finger was exquisite. He couldn't wait to slide home, but he would do nothing to injure or hurt Tony in any way so he slowly started to push his finger deeper inside before slowly pulling it back. He started kissing Tony again, wanting to drive his lover out of his mind as he worked him open, getting him ready for his aching cock. 

Tony's hips moved in rhythm with Gibbs' finger, he moaned as the one digit withdrew but sighed as it got replaced by two. He loved the sting, the burn making his toes curl with anticipation. He gasped for air as Jethro pecked his gland for the first time, his body arching up clear from the bed. "Shit, not going to last long if you do that again." 

Gibbs grinned slyly. "What, this?" He asked innocently as he let his fingers run over the sweet spot making Tony tremble with need. 

Tony's eyes rolled over, the breath sucked from his body as Gibbs continued with his sweet caress. "Please, please, I'm ready, need you in me, please." He grabbed hold of his partner and pulled him closer. "Want, need you in me, now." He nearly growled the last word. 

"Want it too," Gibbs kissed him once before slicking up his engorged cock and guiding it home. His own breath hitched as it was met by resistance and he gently pressed forward until his head pushed through. It felt like heaven on earth and as he picked up Tony's legs and placed them on his shoulders. He pushed forward letting the tight channel pull him in deeper, loving the soft silkiness that surrounded him. He didn't stop, knowing that Tony loved the burn, but kept on pressing forward inch by inch until he bottomed out, his balls tight against Tony's ass. 

"Missed this so much." Tony gasped at the burn but welcomed it at the same time. He sighed in relief as Jethro bottomed out. "Going to take me hard, Jet?" He loved it rough, loved to feel it for days to come. 

"Not tonight," Gibbs answered as he slowly withdrew taking up a slow pace, using long easy strokes while his one hand circled around Tony's straining cock and worked him over at the same pace. 

Tony wanted to moan, but the pleasure inside of him started to bubble to the surface, making him ache for more. Soon he was lost in the realms of utter satisfaction as Jethro slowly made love to him. He couldn't even complain as Gibbs' withdrew from him, turned him on his side, and entered him again. He moaned as Gibbs' kept on hitting his prostate, letting the pleasure inside of him grow to something hot, something wild. 

Both men panted hard and as Gibbs felt his balls pulling up, Tony trembled in his arms and he knew they were not going to last much longer. He tightened the grip he had on Tony's cock, swiped his thumb over Tony's slit, "Cum for me," he whispered and as Tony shook against him, filling his fist with long warm streams of seed he exploded himself and coated Tony's channel with his own release. He kept on stroking Tony's cock until the last of his own pleasure spasms died off and only then did he release the hold he had over Tony. He sighed in content, moved their bodies a bit, but stayed buried inside of his partner. He loved the way Tony's channel was pulsating around him, keeping him deep inside, not ready to expel him. 

"Fuck," Tony turned his head and kissed Gibbs hard. "Now satisfied that I'm still alive?" He knew Gibbs watched over him at night, making sure he was still breathing, still worried about what had happened. 

Gibbs stole another kiss. "Now I know you're still alive." He hugged Tony hard and together they closed their eyes to get some well deserved sleep. The fact that they would be sticky in the morning or that Tony would be sore didn't matter, what did matter was the fact that they were together, that Tony was all right, that they were all right.

**THE END**


End file.
